Privacy on the web seems less and less attainable, as you have to fight on multiple fronts just to stand a chance. Your browser itself is one of the primary sources of privacy leaks, and some, such as Chrome, are simply not built with privacy in mind.
Mullvad Browser will have a familiar name to some, as it was created by the makers of Mullvad VPN, in collaboration with the Tor Project. It’s essentially Firefox tuned for optimal privacy, with a few built-in extensions and other features, all privacy-related.
Ships a privacy-tuned version of Firefox
Given that, at first glance, it pretty much just looks like Firefox, it’s worth mentioning what’s actually changed. For starters, every privacy option available in the browser is set to its strictest setting, even those that aren’t easily configurable.
Private browsing mode is on by default, fingerprinting resistance is enabled, all telemetry is disabled, all recommendations are turned off, some built-in Firefox extensions are removed, DNS over HTTPS is enabled, and the default search engine is set to Mullvad’s Leta. You can’t set it to Google even if you wanted to, though it’s worth mentioning that Leta itself will be discontinued shortly.
Even your screen size can be used for fingerprinting, and Mullvad Browser gets around this by using a content window rounded to a multiple of 200 x 100 pixels, thereby preventing the use of very specific dimensions. This is actually a Firefox feature that isn’t enabled by default.
Built-in extensions and new features
uBlock Origin, NoScript, and Mullvad’s browser extension are pre-installed. You’re likely familiar with the first two, and the latter checks for DNS leaks, lets you verify connection details, and provides an easy way to connect to one of the company’s proxy servers. Keep in mind, this isn’t a VPN, just a proxy.
There’s also a new button in the toolbar that will instantly reset your online identity. When clicked, it will clear all private data and closes all tabs and windows. It essentially lets you avoid restarting the browser, but you’ll still need to use a proxy or VPN to change your IP address.
While the browser was developed in collaboration with the Tor Project, it doesn’t actually use Tor. The upside is that browsing is a lot faster, and together with a VPN, it’s probably as private as it can get without accessing the onion network.
Pimp My Firefox: Privacy Edition
Realistically, that’s what Mullvad Browser is: Firefox configured to maximize privacy, with a couple of new features and extensions built in. It’s great if you’re trying to avoid fingerprinting, but there are obviously some downsides to consider as well.
The biggest issue is that your logins will not be preserved between sessions, so it’s not suitable for most people and most use cases, though you can turn off private browsing if you want to. Letterboxing also makes browsing a bit awkward at times, and some websites fail to load properly with all privacy features enabled. Ideally, you’ll only use it when absolutely necessary, or if your main concern is privacy.
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